Calculating machine



Sept. 26, 1933. J. A. v. TURCK CALCULATING MACHINE 3 Sheets-Sheet 1Original Filed July 31, 1923 Zmnentor J05EPH 14. 1/ 72mm.

A) C(ttorneg Sept. 26, 1933. .1 A. v. TURCK 1,927,357

CALCULATING MACHINE Original Filed July 31. 1923- 3 Sheets-Sheet 2Bnnentor \JOSEPH A. L 77mm.

Sept. 26, 1933. J. A. v. TURCK CALCULATING MACHINE Original Filed July51, 1923 3 Sheets-Sheet 5 r.- 5 R m 3% a VH n n H w m Patented Sept. 26,1933 CALCULATING MACHINE Joseph A. V. 'lurck, Wilmette, Ill., allignorto Felt a Tarrant Manufacturing Company, Chicago, lll. a corporation ofIllinois Original application July 31, 1923, Serial No. 654,874. Dividedand an, application July 1, 1932. Serial No. 620,504

3 Claims. (Cl. 235-27) This invention relates in general to improvementsin calculating machines and especially to alternatively key-driven orpower-driven calculating machines. More particularly the presentinvention relates to the latching means for holding the keys in key-setposition for power drive disclosed in my copending parent applicationSer. No. 654,874, filed July 31, 1923, (now Patent No. 1,869,872,granted August 2, 1932) of which this application is a division.

Objects of the invention are the provision of latches for holding thekeys set for power drive which will offer no resistance to the keys whenthe machine is set for key driven operation thereby permitting themachine to be optionally operable for key-drive or key-set power drive,the provision of a novel latching means that is flexible and thatlightens the strokes required in setting the keys, and the invention hasfor further objects such other improvements or advantages inconstruction or operation as may be found to obtain in the structuresand devices hereinafter described or claimed.

In the accompanying drawings, forming a part of this specification andshowing, for purposes of exempliflcation, a preferred form and manner inwhich the invention may be embodied and practiced, but without limitingthe claimed invention specifically to such illustrative instance orinstances:-'

Fig. 1 is a top plan view of a calculating ma chine embodying theinvention, with a part of the top casing plate and of the carriage andsome of the keys broken away to show the interior construction;

Fig. 2 is a vertical sectional view taken longitudinally of the machineand showing the operation of the actuating mechanism in key-setpower-driven actuation;

Fig. 3 is a fragmentary, perspective sectional view showing the columnactuator latching mechanism and the control keys whereby the latchingmechanism may be variously released or set; and I Fig. 4 is afragmentary transverse sectional view looking towards the front of themachine.

As the present invention may be used with various types of calculatingmachines, and as the general construction and operation may be readilyunderstood by reference to my copending parent application Ser. No.654,874, a brief description of the general features of the machine willbe sufllcient for an understanding of the present invention. Thesamereference characters used in said application will be used herein todesignate the same parts. Figs. 1 to 4 are identical copies of Figs. 2,7, 9 and 10 respectively, of said application.

The various instrumentalities, which constitute the actuating mechanismfrom which calculative motion is transmitted to the accumulatormechanism, are supported by a frame mounted on the base 21 of anenclosing casing, said frame consisting essentially of side skeletonplates 22 and intermediate skeleton plates 23 disposed between thevarious actuating mechanisms of the several orders of the machine, andall tied together at suitable points by transverse tie rods 24. Thevarious orders of the actuating mechanism are .stationary, i. e., thereis no shift from order to order of the actuating mechanism. Inperforming multiple-stroke key-set power-driven calculation, shifting iseffected by the carriage which supports the accumulator mechanism, ashereinafter described.

According to the present type of machine, a number of columns of ninekeys each are provided, a column for each order of the machine. Eachcolumn of keys 25 corresponds with the column actuator and attendantparts and constitutes a mechanism either for driving the column actuatoran amount proportionate to the digital value of the particular keyoperated or for setting and controlling the column actuator to beotherwise driven a like amount. The keys of each column are numberedfrom 1 to 9 and complementally for negative calculation from 0 to 8 infront to rear order of the machine; the key at the extreme front isadapted to effect or otherwise to control operation oi the columnactuator through an are substantially one-ninth of that produced by theoperation of the key at the extreme rear of the machine, and upon.depression of intermediately positioned keys, the column actuator is ormay be moved through various arcs respectively determined by the digitalvalue of the intermediate keys depressed.

Each key 25 is provided with a stem 26 extending down and bearing uponthe corresponding column actuator 27 for the key-driven actuation of themachine. Spring mechanisms 28 similar to those employed in thewell-known comptometer" are utilized for the purpose of restoring therespective keys 25 to normal independently of the column actuator.

There is a column actuator 27 for each column of nine keys of themachine, and each column actuator is preferably constructed in the formof a bell-crank lever having a long horizontal arm 29, a relativelyshort depending vertical arm 30, and being pivoted at the junction pointof said arms to the framework at the rear of the machine, as shown at31. The horizontal arm 29 of the column actuator extends forwardly fromrear to front of the machine and receives the keyimpulse to actuate theaccumulator, when the machine is set for key-driven actuation. Pivotedat tors in key-driven actuation. It comprisesa power-driven oscillatoryshaft 40 extending transverselyofthemainframe l 'iaedtosaldshafttososstopartakeofitsoscillatorymoveactuators 27. It is particularlythese plate members 41 which constitute the abutments for the springtensioning hereinafter referred to.

numeral key 25. the horizontal column actuator arm. 29 moves downwardlyan amount proportionalwiththedigitalvalueofthekcydepressed. Thismovement of the column actuator turns the transmitting gear-sector 33 ina counter-clockwise direction the required amount for the incrementalaccumulative actuation. which occurs on the reverse clockwise rotationof the sector 38. The downward movement of the horizontalcolumnactuatorarmflcausesarearwardmovement of the depending columnactuator arm 30 sndthisrearwardmovementofsaidarmaostretchesortensionsthespringutoproduce powerforthe-returnmovementofthecolumn actuatoainasmuchastheramie remainsstationary.Inthismanner,thespring44ofthe flexible link mechanism functions as thereturn actual calculative t produced spring for the column actuator inhey-drivm actuation.

Inallformsofcalculatlveactuatiomitisthe upward return t of thetransmitting gearoradding/sectorsnthateifectstheactualtransferofinctementalordimlaocumulationte theaccumulatormechanism,

for subsequent calculative tbythepowermechanism, theoperation ofanumeralkeybeingamereunlockingofanordinallockingdevicecorrespondingtotheorderinwhichthekeyisdepressed,as con operationinkey-drivenactuationof chine.Whenthemachineissetto key-set power-driven actuation. thetuatorsinallordersofthemachineare elevate those column actuators whichhave been released from the ordinal locking mechanism by previousnumeral key setting.

OscillatorymovementoftheuniversslsctmP toriseflectedbythe crankfidmountedonthe powershaftt'lwhichisprovidedatitslefthandendwithacrankonwhichispivotedecccntricallytotheaxisoftheshaftii'ltheforwsrdend of a pitman. The pitman is pivoted toan oscillatpryarmsecuredtothelei'thandendofthe shaft 40.

The connections inthe above described universal actuator train are soproportioned relatively to each other that each single rotation of thecrank so. in either direction, will impart em a clockwise and next acounter-clockwise movementtotheuniversalactuatorshaftloandthe series ofordinal actuator plates 41. In other words, each single rotation of thecrank 56 is accompanied by a downward and upward oscillation of theuniversal actuator plates. In key-set actuation, each single oscillationof said plates 41 effects a single incremental accumulative movement ofthe selected column actuators.

Extending transversely of and supported by theframeworkisabarddwhichconstitutesthe support for the ordinal locks 6'1.These locks 67 are respectively pivotally molmted at 68 on saidbarecandtheir upperfreeendsareprovidedwlthlockingnotchadflwhichareproiectedbeneath the horizontal arms 29 ofthe column actuators to prevent depression thereof, wheneverthelocksc'lhavebeenshiftedpivotallytoward theleftofthemachine,(towardstherightss seeninl'ig.4) bysettingthemachineforpowerdrivenoperation. Each ordinal lock 6'! is controlled individually by itscorresponding ordinal lock control her '10. These bars '10 extend fromfronttorearinthevariousordcrsofthemachine and are loosely supported byfront and rear rods 71 and 72, which permit the barsto be swungindividually or in unison on axes parallel with their length. Each baris provided with a depending arm 73 the lower end of which has a pin 74,which works in a slot 740 in the corresponding ordinal column actuatorlock. When the lower edges of the respective bars 70 are swung in unisontoward the right, in a counterclockwise direction by the mechanism forsetting the machine for power-driven operation, the several locks 87,through the connections 73, will be swung toward the right in aclockwise direction (as viewed in Fig. 4) to move the locking notches 69into engagement with the column actuator arms 29. For this purpose eachcontrol bar 70 is provided with a depending arm 75 (see Fig. 3) providedwith a slot 76 that receives the groovedportion 77 of a shift rod 78extending transverselyof the framework. The shift rod 78 is engaged atits left-hand end by the upper end of a rocker arm 79. The lower end ofsaid rocker arm is pivoted at 80 on a transverse supporting bar 81.Projecting rearwardly from the upper end of the rocker arm 79 is aroller 82 which forms the abutment for shifting the rocker arm 79 eithertoward the right or toward the left of the machine, in response tooperation of the control key 83. The control key 83 is designatedkey-drive" and is provided below the top casing plate with a notch 84that loosely receives the rear end of a walking beam 85. The center ofthe walking beam 85 is pivoted at 86 to the side skeleton plate of theframework and the front end of said beam is loosely mounted within asimilar notch 87 in the crank drive" control key 88. The notches 84 and87 are so located in the respective control keys 83 and 88 that thewalking beam 85 will elevate one key as the other is depressed. Thekey-drive control key 83 is provided with an upper notch 89 and a lowernotch 90 (Fig. 3) so located that when the crank drive control key 88 isdepressed the notch 90 is in engagement with the roller 82 on the upperend of the rocker arm 79, and when the keydrive" control key 83 isdepressed the upper notch 89 is in engagement with the roller 82. Asshown in Fig. 9, the upper notch 89 is located farther toward the rightof the machine than the lower notch 90. When the crank drive control keyis depressed and the key drive control key is concurrently elevated, thepositioning of the notch 90 in registry with the roller 82 permits theseveral control bars to move toward the left of the machine (ortowardthe right as viewed in Fig. 4) to shift the several ordinal locks 67into locking positions. This movement of the control bars 70 isaccomplished by springs 91 encircling the supporting rods 71 and 72 inthe various orders of the machine between each control bar and thecorresponding ordinal skeleton plate and bearing on the control bars insuch manner as to push their depending arms 73 toward the left of themachine, i. e. toward the right-hand side of Fig. 4, to effect themovement of the several ordinal locks 67 into column actuator lockingpositions. On the other hand when the keydrive key 83 is depressedthe-upper notch 89 is brought into registry with the roller 82; and suchmovement of the key 83 causes the rocker arm 79 to move toward the rightof the machine, with the result that the rod 78 is likewise moved towardthe right. This movement of the rod 78 is transmitted to the severalcontrol bars 70 in unison through the arms 75, thereby shifting theconnecting arms 73 in unison toward the right Fig. 4) to shift all theordinal locks 67 into-in operative positions. The last describedoperation effected by depression of the key 83 sets the machine forkey-driven actuation, whereas the depression of the key 88' sets themachine for power-driven actuation.

As hereinbefore stated, when the machine is set for power-drivenactuation, the depression of an ordinal numeral key 25 unlocks theordinal lock 67 of the corresponding order. For this purpose eachcontrol bar 70 is provided with a series constituted of nine dependingprojections 92 which respectively correspond to the column of ninenumeral keys 25 of the corresponding order of the machine. Each numeralkey. 25 is provided with a projection 93 located'on the right-hand sideof its stem 26 and having a notch 94 which receives the correspondingprojection 92 of the ordinal lock control bar when the key is in normalelevated position. On depression of the key for key-set actuation theshoulder above the notch 94 engages the control bar projection 92, sothat the downward movement of the key causes the lower edge of thecontrol bar to move toward the right of the machine. with the resultthat the depending connection 73 is also shifted toward the right of themachine (toward the left as viewed in Fig. 4) to throw the ordinal lock67 of theorder corresponding with the key to inoperative position,thereby permitting the universal actuator to effect a calculativemovement of the column actuator corresponding with that order. As thekey 25 moves downwardly the shoulder above the notch 94 is positionedbeneath the projection 92, as shown in Fig. 10, thereby holding the keydepressed in key-set position.

until released either by the universal release mechanism, or ashereinafter described. After the keys of the various selected ordershave been "set as above described, the universal actuator mechanism maybe operated either for a single actuation, as in additive calculation,or for as manyrepeated actuations as desired, when performing multiplestroke calculation.

When the desired calculative actuation has been completed, whetheradditive or multiple stroke, the several selected numeral keys 25 whichhave been set are restored to normal positions and the released columnactuator locks of their respective orders are re-positioned for lookingthe column actuators. This is accomplished by the universal lock releasemechanism, or by changing to key-drive. Pivotally mounted on thetransverse supporting bar 81 at the rightvhand side of the machine is arocker arm 95 the upper end of which is slotted to receive one of thegrooves of the column actuator lock shift rod 78. A roller 96 projectsrearwardly from said rocker arm 95 and normally enters a notch 97 in theclear key 98, with the result that the parts remain in normal, orkey-set, positions. When the key 98 is depressed, its stem above thenotch 97 forces the roller 96 and the upper end of the rocker arm 95toward the right of the machine, so that the shift rod 78 is likewisemoved toward the right, thereby, through the arms 75, shifting theconnections 73 toward the right (toward the left as viewed in Fig. 4) tomove all the locks 67 to their extreme releasing positions and theprojections 92 away from the numeral keys which they have been holdingdown so that any set numeral keys are permitted to bar enters the hole103 to prevent rotation of noichs'lwitbtherollerst. Thispermitsmringssltothrowallofthecontrolbars There is also provided a columnarrelease mechanism employed for the individual column actuator locks 67,for example when it is desired to release either the column actuatorlock of any selected column or to move the control bar '10 to itsextreme releasing position, to release a numeral key which has beenpreviously "set" in that column. This columnar releasemechanismmaybeemployedforcorrectinganerrorinthekey-settingofanycolumn,andpermitsanewkeysettingtobemadeinanycolumn, or for striking a cipher inany column, ifakeyhasbeenpreviouslysetintbatcolumn without making itnecessary to release the key settinginothercolumnaaswouldhappenin of"clear" key 90. Referring especiallytor'ig.3,eachcontrolbar'l0isprovided at its extreme front end with a horizontalshoulderflonwhichreststhelowerendof theheystemlooofthesmallcolumnarrelease or "cipher key 101. When said key101 is deprmsemtheshoulderflismoveddownwardiytoforcetheloweredgeofthelockbar'mtoward therightofthemachine.toreleaseanumeralkey 20 the shoulder of which isretained beneath a projection 02 of said control bar. Inasmuch as thereare release or cipher" keys 101 for each column, the setting of anyindividual column is subject to individual control and to resetting inany manner desired by the operator. When the finger is removed from adepressed key 101 the parts will be restored to normal position by thesprings 01 corresponding to the control bar '10 whichhasbeenshiftedbysaidkeyloltoreleasing position.

The setting of the machine for power-driven actuation imlocks the crank56 for the operation of the universal actuator. When the crank drive key08 is depressed, the movement of the shift rod 78- toward the right ofthe machine withdraws the left-hand end 102 of said rod fromlockingpositioninaholeorsocket 103 inthe disk 01 of the main power orcrank shaft 57, thus freeing the shaft 57 and crank for movement. Thison also prevents setting of the machine from -driven to key-drivenactuation, except when crank 50 and disk 61 are in their normalpositions, since the movement of the disk away from normal also movesthe hole 103 out of registry with the shift barl8andthelattercannotbeoperatedbythe key-drive" key 03 to release thecolumn locks for key-driven operation of the actuating mechanism.Whenthediskillisinnormalposition, the crank 50 and shaft 57 will belocked against operation by the setting of the machine for key-drive,since the end 102 of the shift the disk 61.

In key-driven actuation, the keys 25 have a variable motion, ashereinbefore explained, in accordance with their digital values, but inkeyset actuation the several keys 25 of each order have a relativelyconstant movement, both downwardly and upwardly, notwithstanding digitalvalues.

For further detailed description of the present machine reference ishereby made to my aforesaid copending parent application.

The invention ashereinabove set forth may be variously embodied withinthe scope of the claims hereinafter made.

I claim:

1. In a calculating machine: ordinal actuating mechanism; ordinalcolumns of depressible keys therefor; an ordinal lock bar for eachordinal column of keys movably mounted relative to the keys, holdingmeans on said bar for interposition in the path of the keys and movableby a key by depression thereof and adapted after such movement to holdthe key in set position, mean for urging the lock bars and theirholdingmeans into co-operative engagement with the keys and universal releasemeans for holding all of said lock bars out of co-operative relationwith the keys, said universal release means comprising a latch rodshiftable laterally of the ordinal lock bars and having grooved portionsslidable in slots in the ordinal lock bars to restrain the holding meansof the ordinal lock bars from cooperative engagement with the keys.

2. In a calculating machine having a universal drive, ordinal actuatingmechanism; ordinal columns of depressible keys therefor; ordinal locksfor latching the ordinal actuating mechanism against actuating movementunder universfl drive; and latching means for said keys, said latchingmeans being interposed in the path of said keys and movable thereby ondepression thereof for setting the keys and simultaneously displacingthe ordinal locks from their latching relationship with the ordinalactuating mechanism and adapted after such movement to hold the keys setand at the same time be held in such pomtion by the set keys as tocontinue to hold their ordinal locks out of latching relationship withthe ordinal actuating mechanism so long as the keys are held setthereby. and means for releasing the keys from said latching means.

3. In a calculating. machine having a universal drive. ordinal actuatingmechanism; ordinal columns of depressible keys therefor; ordinal lochfor latching the ordinal actuating mechanism against actuating movementunder universal drive; and latching means for said keys, said latchingmeans being interposed in the path of said keys and movable thereby ondepression thereof for setting the keys and simultaneously displacingthe ordinal locks from their latching relationship with the ordinalactuating mechanism and adapted after such movement to holdthekeyssetandatthesametimebeheldinsuch position by the set keys as tocontinue to hold their ordinal locks out of latchingrelationship withthe ordinal actuating mechanism so long as the keys are held setthereby, and universal release means for holding the latching means forall of said columns of keys out of latching rela tionship with the keys.

JOSEPH A. V. TURCK.

